The present invention relates to snowboard boots, and more particularly to snowboard boots having a flexible upper.
Snowboarding is a popular winter sport in which a snowboarder stands atop a snowboard and maneuvers the board over the snow, propelled by gravity. The snowboarder wears boots that are removably attached to the board, with the snowboarder""s feet angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board, and in some cases, perpendicular to the board axis. The snowboard is controlled by weight transfer and foot movement, both lateral and longitudinal.
A primary skill that must be mastered in snowboarding is the ability to carve a path through the snow, rather than simply sliding over the top of the snow. Carving allows the snowboarder to control the direction and speed of the snowboard. In its simplest execution, a snowboarder carves a path through the snow by shifting his or her weight forward or backward, causing the snowboard to tilt or rotate about its longitudinal axis toward and away from its back side edge. As used herein, frontside refers to the side or direction to which the snowboarder""s toes are closest and back side refers to the opposite side or direction.
Snowboard boots are conventionally secured to the board using either strap bindings or step-in bindings. In either case, the binding and/or boot usually employs a high back structure that extends upwardly from either the board or the back side of the boot sole, along and behind the ankle of the boot. The high back limits rearward flexure of the ankle so that when the snowboarder leans backwards, force is transmitted to the snowboard tending to rotate the snowboard about its longitudinal axis toward the back side edge. The high back is secured to the board in conventional strap bindings and in high back step-in bindings.
An alternative type of step-in binding is also available, called a plate or flat step-in binding. Flat step-in bindings utilize metal cleats on the bottom of the snowboard boot that mate with a binding structure built into the snowboard, to secure the snowboard boot to the snowboard. For example, two metal cleats are sometimes provided on the bottom of each boot, one toward the front portion of the boot and the other toward the heel of the boot. Step-in bindings provide many advantages over strap and high back step-in bindings, including ease of attachment and disattachment. The flat step-in binding itself, however, does not provide a connection between the snowboarder""s calf and the frontside of the snowboard. Therefore, in order to facilitate back side turns, snowboard boots for use with flat step-in bindings are typically much stiffer, particularly along the vertical back portion of the upper, than are snowboard boots for strap and high back step-in bindings. The functional equivalent of the high back is essentially built into the snowboard boot for flat step-in bindings, rigidizing the rear spine of the boot against rear flexion.
The choice of binding type and boot will depend on a variety of factors. For example, in alpine snowboarding, wherein the snowboarder typically maneuvers from the top to the bottom of a snow-covered slope, it is generally preferred to have a stiffer connection between the snowboarder and the snowboard. In free style snowboarding, which typically involves performing more elaborate tricks, more mobility and flexibility between the snowboarder and the snowboard is desirable. Two or more different pairs of snowboard boots may therefore be necessary for a snowboarder who wants to do both alpine and free style snowboarding: One pair of boots for use with strap or high back step-in bindings, another pair of boots for flat step-in bindings, and possibly a third pair of boots for use with flat step-in bindings that has a greater degree of flexibility in the ankle portion.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,843 to Sand et al., a boot structure is disclosed for use with step-in bindings including an underfoot or shank portion that connects to a heel cup and high back portion. Straps are provided from the high back portion to the shank, whereby backward motion of the high back portion will cause the shank to rise. This boot essentially combines the features of a high back binding and a step-in binding into a soft boot structure.
A similar stiffening assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,609 to Messmer, which teaches a boot insert including a rigid underfoot portion pivotally attached to a rigid back plate, and a pair of flexible tension straps extending between the back plate and the underfoot portion. Neither Messmer nor Sand et al. teaches a stiffening apparatus that can be removed from the boot.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,808, Gilliard et al. teaches a snowboard boot having at least one elongate exterior pocket in the flexible upper portion of the boot with an open top channel to receive a substantially uniform rectilinear cross-sectional elongate stay, for stiffening the upper portion of the boot. The stay, which is maintained in the pocket by frictional forces, includes a strap for inserting and removing the stay, whereby the snowboarder can adjust the stiffness of the boot upper portion. The elongate stay does not, however, conform to the shape of the snowboarders ankle, and is susceptible to being inadvertently pulled out during use, for example if the snowboarder tumbles in the snow or brushes against obstacles on the slope.
The present invention provides a boot for snow sports having a sole portion and an upper portion that cooperatively receive a user""s foot. The upper portion has a flexible high back portion adapted to surround the user""s ankle. The high back portion includes a pocket that is adapted to receive a removable, semi-rigid insert that is wide at a top end and narrow at a bottom end. By installing or removing the insert in the pocket, the rearward flexibility of the high back portion of the boot can be selectively modified.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the insert is generally Y-shaped, and the high back portion of the boot also includes a pair of locking slots that are positioned to receive opposite corners of the top end of the insert, such that the insert can be removably locked in place in the pocket.
In an aspect of one embodiment of the present invention, the snowboard boot further comprises a soft liner that is insertable into the boot to improve the user""s comfort.